A Toy Story

I had lots of favorite toys growing up: trolls, littlest pet shop, polly pocket, Barbie, and of course my Ninja Turtles. I was quite the tomboy growing up. I wanted nothing to do with dresses, bows, or the color pink. I DID have Ninja Turtle sheets, a Ninja Turtle beanbag, and all the action figures. My cousins and I would constantly pretend to be the turtles, and I was always Raphael…I think I was attracted to his sarcasm and dry sense of humor.

Ninja turtles were my idols for a couple years, but like most kids, I loved toys in general, and a trip to the toy store (i.e. WalMart) was the highlight of my Fridays (allowance day). WalMart’s toy sections was heaven, I could have spent the entire weekend roaming the aisles and making out my wish list…a feeling I now have while shopping in Sephora.

I can’t imagine what I would have done had I visited NYC’s famous toy store, FAO Schwarz, but I definitely would have asked for a raise in my allowance.

FAO Shwarz is the first American toy store. It opened in 1862! Can you imagine what it sold that long ago! I’m assuming it was full of wooden toy trains, the toy horse that consists of a stuffed horse head on a stick, maybe a rocking horse, mother goose books, and marbles??? Did kids even play that long ago? I’d love to take kids from 1862 and send them to FAO Schwarz today, although that may be more frightening than fun.

Like most people, I did not grow up in NYC, or even visit NYC as a child, so I am now making up for lost time by shopping at FAO Shwarz over and over and over again.

Okay, so maybe I’ve only bought a handful of items (mostly toys for kids I know), AND maybe I am often there with someone who is visiting me, but nonetheless, I have been there NUMEROUS times now.

FAO Schwarz is the classier and more classic Toys R Us, it’s actually operated by Toys R Us. To put it in SAT terms, FAO Shwarz is to Toys R Us, what Banana Republic is to Old Navy.

Everyone is greeted by real-life toy soldiers, can’t get much classier than that!

This toy store is really famous for its enormous realistic stuffed animals. The amount of beautiful stuffed animals when you first enter is overwhelming. I just want to snuggle all of them!!!

The little stuffed animals are great too.

Here are Zoey and Fiance testing our friends/visitors on their extensive bird knowledge. They’re bird scientists, or something of that caliber.

For the first time ever, I got to dance and play on the famous giant piano! (The one featured in Big, with Tom Hanks.)

Waiting in line to dance on the BIG piano, and getting our picture taken

This store is crazy big, and there are sooo many big, fun sections!

Beetlejuice!FAO Schwarz has the BEST puppets. (Zoey’s was looking for Charlotte…)The Barbie section is unreal! This was one of the more clever Barbie outfits.

In the dollhouse section, also unbelievable, we found this little treasure on display. Look familiar? It’s a replica of the Cullen’s house on Twilight.

AND the CANDY, oh my!

Last, but not least, the Build-a-Muppet section. It’s build-a-bear for muppets, and I must say that these muppets look identical to real muppets.

So that’s my tour of the famous FAO Schwarz. Feels good to relive your childhood, right? Well, at least the fun parts. Now, I think I’ll put in a Disney movie and maybe dream of Ninja Turtles and Princesses tonight.

My Mom obviously dressed me as the wrong turtle here, but I forgave her because the costume was just so cool.

I had a pet shop carrier too! I remember my mum first bought it for me for Christmas because I had wanted a pet rabbit for so long but as we had a dog, we couldn’t get one. Littlest Pet Shop rabbit was the compromise. Then my friend got real rabbits and turned out I was allergic, so probably for the best… 😉

I loved FAO Schwarz….seriously made me feel like a kid again and I just wanted to touch everything..ha ha! I am sure it never gets old each time you go in there and love that ninja turtles photo! I used to always play ninja turtles with my brother..and I used to have the biggest crush on Donatello (I know a crush on a turtle?! Weirdo!) ha ha!